"But social media has not helped these revolutions turn into lasting democracies. Social media speaks directly to the most reactive, least reflective parts of our minds, demanding we pay attention even when our calmer selves might tell us not to. It is no surprise that this form of media is especially effective at promoting hate, white supremacy, and public humiliation."

@woozle@lucaconti@dajbelshaw>social media has not helped these revolutions turn into lasting democracies-they were never meant to in the first place. Besides, neither the US nor Israel had anything to gain from democracy spreading in the ME, hence the failure. As Chomsky put it: "Power does not say “thank you for dismantling us,” then walking quietly away."

This just feels like an authoritarian attempt to get people off social media -- exactly at a time when new forms are springing up that address the problems he's citing -- rather than getting them to think more critically, or to join networks that are fighting these trends.